Chapter 145: Aches and Pains (Part 2)
After tidying up the kitchen, Nijika came out to check and was surprised to see Ishikawa Hayato had covered all the dishes with lids. She had thought Ishikawa Hayato had already started eating, or was waiting for her to join him.
"That's a surprise," Nijika said.
Ishikawa Hayato neatly arranged the table setting.
"It's better when everyone eats together."
After breakfast, the two sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. Ishikawa Hayato casually watched the TV program Nijika had chosen.
However, he soon noticed that Nijika didn't seem to be looking at the TV at all.
"Nijika?"
"Ah, sorry." Nijika subconsciously changed the channel.
Ishikawa Hayato watched her quietly, and only spoke when she began to feel awkward.
"What are you thinking about?"
Nijika looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then voiced the worry in her heart.
"In two days, the performance lineup will be announced, and we still haven't received an invitation to perform..."
Ishikawa Hayato watched her looking downcast, frowning, and expressing her unease.
He smiled and said casually,
"Then let me think, should we go to the Budokan or the Dome? I'll pay."
"Don't joke around."
Nijika slapped his arm.
Ishikawa Hayato was indeed joking.
Even if he rented the Budokan or the Dome, with their current appeal, the venue would probably be as quiet as the permafrost of Siberia.
Even with free tickets, it might not be full.
He watched Nijika perk up.
With a hint of playful scolding, she said with a smile, "Then how about I rent STARRY for a day and find some friends to perform there for a day?"
Nijika blinked, quickly thought about it, then turned sideways on the sofa with a jump, and extended her index finger, saying, "Hayato-kun, you said it!"
"Of course, a pervert is someone who acts on his thoughts."
She was already used to Ishikawa Hayato referring to himself this way, but she still smiled, showing some dissatisfaction with a huff, and turned her head to watch TV.
On TV, the protagonist was rushing to find the heroine, vehicles and crowds flowed past him, and his helpless eyes searched everywhere.
Although she hadn't really watched the first half, Nijika was still caught up in the tension built by the drama.
Her heart was racing, and her bright eyes stared unblinkingly at the screen.
After seeing that the protagonist hadn't found her, she let out a soft sigh, and as she exhaled, she noticed the gaze beside her.
"What's wrong?"
Only then did she realize she was being stared at.
"Nijika is so cute."
Nijika's expression turned displeased.
She grumbled,
"Didn't we agree you wouldn't make a move on me?"
"Eh, but I haven't touched Nijika at all."
Nijika scooted away with a look of disgust.
Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's wronged expression, she chuckled inwardly.
But soon, Ishikawa Hayato rallied.
He said with a fierce determination,
"Alright, I have a goal now."
Nijika, who had already kept her distance, wasn't too worried.
She still trusted Ishikawa Hayato.
She softly uttered, "Hmm?" showing her curiosity.
Ishikawa Hayato slapped his thigh and said,
"My next goal is, when I slap my thigh, Nijika will very sensibly sit on it."
He even imagined the scene in his mind.
He wouldn't say anything, just slap his thigh, Nijika's gaze would turn to him, she would see his action, sigh, stand up, walk in front of him, turn around, and sit on his lap.
Then he could happily put his arm around the petite Nijika's waist, lean on her shoulder, and be intimate with her.
His fantasy was shattered by Nijika's kick.
"Who would do that!?"
Nijika pressed her lips together and glared at him fiercely.
However, she inexplicably felt that her heart wasn't entirely against it, but feeling this way made her even angrier, so she kicked Ishikawa Hayato's shin again.
Ishikawa Hayato laughed foolishly.
Not long after their conversation ended, while Nijika still had a stern face, not wanting to talk to Ishikawa Hayato, footsteps sounded from the hallway.
She quickly turned her head towards her savior.
Being alone with Hayato Ishikawa was too dangerous—not because he would do anything, but because she knew full well that once she showed an attitude that 'this is fine too,' he wouldn’t hesitate to make a move.
This made her feel very tense and restless.
Seeing that it was Hitori who arrived, she smiled and greeted her.
"Oh, Bocchi-chan, good morning."
"Nijika-chan, goo... good morning," Hitori responded softly.
She had originally wanted to go back to sleep, but after realizing someone was missing beside her, she couldn't sleep.
She looked around on the second floor but couldn't find anyone, so she washed up and came downstairs.
Ishikawa Hayato saw Hitori still in her pajamas and waved, greeting her with a smile.
Seeing Hitori respond and walk towards them, he turned back to the golden-haired, red-eyed girl who had just been pouting.
Nijika noticed his gaze and smiled, completely unworried now.
However, Hitori always surprised them when they felt at ease.
The moment their eyes moved away from Hitori, they suddenly heard a thud.
Ishikawa Hayato, Nijika: ?????
They quickly looked towards the source of the sound.
On the wooden floor, Hitori lay stretched out.
Noticing their gazes, she lifted her head, with a pitiful expression as if she had done something wrong.
"I don't feel well..."
"Ah..." Nijika understood and gave an awkward laugh. "I get it, muscle soreness, right? Bocchi-can, you don't have to force yourself to get up."
She had experienced it herself.
Even moving a little hurt.
It was normal for Hitori, who seemed more of a homebody, to not be able to handle it.
Ishikawa Hayato watched Hitori's clumsy, adorable attempts to crawl up from the floor and walked over.
"Then come lie on the sofa first."
"Yes..." Hitori said, then hesitated and corrected herself, "Thank you..."
Ishikawa Hayato happily hummed.
The two helped Hitori lie on the sofa, but before Ishikawa Hayato could sit down, Hitori shrank further into the sofa.
Ishikawa Hayato stopped in his tracks and didn't sit down.
Although Hitori's actions just now seemed particularly humble, he knew she wasn't thinking that way.
At this moment, she probably felt it was not good to occupy the longest part of the sofa by herself, so she tried hard to shrink the space she occupied.
And her next step should be...
Nijika looked curiously at Ishikawa Hayato, who was standing and observing Hitori, then glanced at Hitori lying on the sofa, not understanding what Ishikawa Hayato intended to observe.
However, she also joined Ishikawa Hayato in observing Hitori.
In a moment, Hitori began to squirm, her head against the sofa armrest, she started to straighten her body, slowly propping her hands on the sofa, preparing to sit up.
However, after propping herself up, she looked to the side.
Unlike her imagination, where the two would be watching TV and not paying attention to her reaction, these two were still standing and staring intently at her while she was sitting.
"Eh?" She showed a panicked expression.
In her panic, her hands lost strength, and her body fell back down.
The soft sofa instantly engulfed her as her whole body fell, but her muscles tensed up in that brief moment before relaxing again.
The consequences were... "It hurts!!~~~~"
Hitori let out a tragic wail.
The sound reached the second floor.
Kita sat up blankly, stretched with a soft groan, and looked around in confusion.
...
"Bocchi-chan, don't push yourself."
Nijika reprimaded Hitori while helping her get back into a proper position.
"Mmm..." Hitori replied with tears in her eyes.
Watching the scene before him, like a mother comforting her sick daughter, Ishikawa Hayato chuckled inwardly.
"It seems we can't do anything today."
"Huh?"
Hitori looked up in a panic.
She understood that in a group outing, someone being unable to continue due to feeling unwell was the most serious mishap. Not only would one person have to stay behind to accompany them, but the others who went out would also be worried and unable to fully enjoy themselves.
This meant that happy memories would be marked by an anticlimactic ending!
But she absolutely couldn't let such a thing happen.
In this situation, she just had to force herself to stand up and follow everyone!
Hitori suddenly sat up and said in an exaggerated, urgent tone,
“It’s... it’s fine. Wow, the pain just disappeared all of a sudden. My body feels so light—I don’t feel any pain at all.”
But her reaction couldn't escape the eyes of the two people in front of her.
Nijika sighed, her expression suddenly serious.
"Bocchi-chan, your hand!"
Hitori realized this was a tough challenge, but she still gritted her teeth and extended her arm.
Nijika unceremoniously grabbed her arm and squeezed it with a little force.
Instantly, Hitori's hand went limp from the pain.
But she still gritted her teeth, tears in her eyes, and cried out,
"It hurts... it doesn't hurt at all..."
Nijika looked at her trying to endure and suddenly couldn't bring herself to press further.
"Don't be so stubborn," she scolded.
Ishikawa Hayato knew how stubborn Hitori was.
In fact, it was precisely because she was so stubborn that she would do so many outrageous things.
If this continued, it would turn into an interrogation.
He pulled Nijika, who was at her wit's end with Hitori.
"Bocchi seems to really want to play. How about I give her a massage to relax her muscles?"
He said to the two of them.
“Alright.” Nijika looked at Hitori helplessly.
Hitori let out a wail, her eyes changing color from fear.
When Nijika had massaged her earlier, she had been in so much pain she almost cried out.
What kind of torture would Ishikawa Hayato’s massage be?
However, since it was Ishikawa Hayato’s request, and she didn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun, she decided to endure it no matter how much it hurt.
She trembled and closed her eyes, saying.
“I… I can…”
Seeing Hitori like this, Ishikawa Hayato guessed that she probably misunderstanding something.
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